Windsor & Eton advance to cup semi-final with dominant win over Shrivenham

Windsor & Eton 5, Shrivenham 1

Young forward Ashley Howes managed to bag himself a brace as Windsor & Eton romped into the Berks & Bucks Charles Twelftree Trophy semi-final with a comprehensive victory over Shrivenham on Saturday.

Fiifi Carter netted a fine set piece and Jemel Johnson and Isaiah Chase-Kelly were also on the scoresheet in this clash at Stag Meadow, with Matty Angell’s men due to face Burghfield next in the cup competition after they got the better of Padbury Village earlier this month (Saturday, December 9).

Shrivenham, currently positioned 11th in the Wiltshire League Premier Division, scored their only goal this afternoon in the 13th minute as Windsor ‘keeper George Armstrong was caught in no man’s land and Brad Hirst calmly side-footed the ball into an empty net. 

Windsor, concluding 2023 in second place of the Thames Valley Premier League, reacted superbly and were awarded a free kick in a favourable position five minutes before the break, with Carter able to place the ball into the bottom right corner. 

Johnson grazed the top of the bar with an audacious attempt less than 60 seconds later before Howes squeezed in his first goal in the 43rd minute to make the score 2-1 at the break.

Angell’s side weren’t in the mood to take their foot off the gas in the second half as Johnson slid the ball under Shrivenham stopper Ash Horne in the 48th minute and Howes thumped it home emphatically three minutes later. 

The visitors served some warnings next with an attacker afforded the time and space to get a shot off before Armstrong had to get down low to save a strike from distance. 

Johnson had several opportunities to score again, and Howes came close to securing a hat-trick in the dying embers, but the hosts’ fifth and final goal came from substitute Chase-Kelly (83’) who showed great reactions to score a rebound off the woodwork.

“It feels excellent to be fair – coming off the back of a loss we picked up a couple of weeks ago,” said manager Angell at full-time.

“It’s a brilliant result for the club; we’re into the semis and we’ve got a home tie next.

“I think today, our fitness told. I think our intensity, especially in the second half, was really good. It was good to get a load of younger players on. A 17-year-old came on and changed the game in Oli Bach and Joe Hopkins and Lucas Lindstrup have had chances too.

“I think there was a nervousness in our backline at the start so I made a few tweaks fairly early on and I feel that changed the course of the game. We went 1-0 down but to go into half-time at 2-1, the nerves certainly went down.

“This was our final game before the New Year. We’ve got a Christmas do tonight so the boys can enjoy themselves.”